Decade Awards

KHC DECADE AWARD 1997 – ALISON FRANKS – ACADEMIC RESEARCH

• Graduated 1986 and Dux.
• Bachelor of Science (1st Class Honours), Sydney Uni, 1987-1990
  
• Research, Department of Biochemistry, Sydney Uni, 1991
  
• Doctor of Philosophy, Sydney Uni, 1992–1995
  
• Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Department of Molecular Science, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, USA, 1996
  

 

KHC DECADE AWARD 1997 – ANTHONY STOCKMAN – CAREER / BUSINESS

• Graduated 1982 and School Captain
• Completed Electrical Trades Course with Honours, 1985
• NSW Apprentice of the Year, 1986
• Started own business, AJS Electrical Contracting, 1992
• Recognised for his pursuit of excellence in apprentice training, 1993-2011
• 2BS Bathurst Macquarie Rotary Bathurst Business Award in the Building Services Category, 2005
• Rookie of the Year in Kidney Kar Rally, 2007
• Group Training Australia ‘Host Employer of the Year’ for outstanding employment of apprentices, 2008

KHC DECADE AWARD 1998 – DEREK WALKER – CAREER / BUSINESS

• Graduated 1988
• UNSW Co-op Scholarship 1989
• Winner Ben Lexcen Sporting Scholarship, UNSW, 1989–1992
• $20 000 Nescafe Big Break Award in Science & Technology – inventor of FLY disc wheel used in cycling and triathlons, 1992
• Judge Nescafe Big Break Award. 1993-1996
• Developer of new prosthetic technology

KHC DECADE AWARD 1999 – EMMA LESLIE – HUMANITARIAN WORK

• Graduated 1989
  
• Bachelor of Arts (History, English, Politics), ANU Canberra, 1992
• Co-founder, ACTION International Network, 1993 to present
• Working With Conflict Certificate, United Kingdom, 1996
• Master of Development Studies, Deakin Uni, 2000
• 1000 Women for Peace – Nominee for Nobel Peace Prize, 2005
• Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Cambodia, 2007 to present
• International author, adviser, consultant, evaluator, tutor, researcher and advocate for Peace

KHC DECADE AWARD 2000 – ELIZABETH RAPLEY – GENETIC RESEARCH

• Graduated 1985
• Bachelor of Science 1st class Honours in Human Genetics Sydney Uni 1991
• PhD in Human Molecular Genetics 1996
• Research Scientist, Cancer Genetics Institute, Surrey, England – identifying and mapping genes in cancer tumors

KHC DECADE AWARD 2001 – KATE SMITH – ENTERTAINMENT / ACTRESS

• Graduated 1990
• Bachelor of Arts (Communications: Theatre Media) Honours, Charles Sturt University
• Created theatre company Red Roar 1995
• One Woman show sell out at Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide & Edinburgh Comedy Festivals, 1998
• Wrote, directed & performed ‘Bsharp’ to sell-out crowds at Belvoir Theatre, 1999
• 8 part comedy series ‘Kate and Julia’ on Foxtel
• Roles on All Saints, Totally Full Frontal, Recovery, State of Play, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream and numerous commercials

KHC DECADE AWARD 2002 – RACHEL HURFORD – PR & EVENT MANAGEMENT

• School Captain and Graduated 1989
• Bachelor of Arts (Communications: Public Relations), University of Canberra, 1993
• PR and media for Sydney Festival, Carnivale, Susie Maroney’s Channel crossing
• Event Management – Royal Easter Show
• Event Manager, Royal Botanic Gardens – OpenAir Cinema, Homebake Music Festival Tropfest Shortfilm Festival, Millennium Celebrations, 2000 Sydney Olympics – Triathlon, Torch Relay, Closing Ceremony Celebrations
• Started own company Tonique Management – Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Homebake, Centenary of Federation
• Arts and Events Manager for Australia Day Council of NSW, since 2002 – organising Big Day Out

KHC DECADE AWARD 2003 – ROSS ANDERSON – INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECT

• Graduated 1992
• Bachelor of Environmental Design, University of Canberra, 1995
• Bachelor of Architecture, 1st Class Honours, Canberra University, 1995
• Master of Philosophy in Architectural History, Cambridge University, 2000.
• Lecturer in Architecture, Canberra University
• Moved to Germany to join team of world renowned architect Andrew Libeskind – working on winning proposal to replace the Twin Towers in New York

KHC DECADE AWARD 2004 – JONATHAN HEASMAN – AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER

• Graduated 1991
• Bachelor of Engineering, Honours, Aerospace Engineering, UNSW, 1998
• Warwick Slade Royal Aeronautical Society Prize for Final Year Design Project, 1998
• Engineer and Project Manager supporting Eurofighter Typhoon jetfighter, 1998-2001
• BAE Chairman’s Award for CAD Innovation, 1999
• Process Implementation Leader in USA for Boeing 787 product build, 2001-2010
• Certificate Project Management, University of Washington, 2004
• MBA, University of Melbourne, 2010
• Management Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2011

KHC DECADE AWARD 2005 – GAVIN COLES – US PGA GOLFING PROFESSIONAL

• Graduated 1986
• Qualified Australian PGA 1993
• 1st PGA Tour victory, Jacobs Creek Open 2002
• Debut in US 2nd tier PGA – 13th, earning $US189 000, qualifying for US PGA circuit
• 5th Australian Open, and lost play-off in Australian Masters, 2003
• Won NZ Open, 3rd on Australian Order of Merit, 2004
• Participated in US Nationwide/ PGA circuit since

KHC DECADE AWARD 2006 – JANELLE LINDSAY – PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST, OAM

• School Captain and Graduated 1994
• NSW Full Contact Karate Champion 1990-1993
• Minister’s Award for Academic and Sporting Excellence 1993
• Inaugural Jack Aubin Bathurst Rotary Young Citizen of the Year 1994
• Majored in Asian Studies and Economics, ANU Canberra, 2000
• Australian Cycling Championships – 2 Gold, 2 Silver and World Record as Pilot in Tandem Cycling
• Athens Paralympics – Gold Medal and World Record 200m Sprint and Bronze Medal 1km Time Trial
• Order of Australia Medal, 2005
• Gold Medal, World Cup, England, 2006

KHC DECADE AWARD 2007 – ANDREW LONGHURST – PSYCHOLOGIST & COUNSELLOR

• Graduated 1992
• Western Region Band
• Bathurst Community raised $130 000 to send Andrew to England for a life saving operation, 1989
• NSW Children’s Week Award – Young Person’s Category, 1990
• Social Science Psychology Degree, CSU, 1996
• Graduate Diploma in Counselling, 1998
• Living skills educator, Employment Consultant and Community Worker in Disability Services, 1999 to present

KHC DECADE AWARD 2008 – CHRISTOPHER HATHERLY – ADVENTURER, AUTHOR, FILM DIRECTOR

• Graduated 1996
• National Finalist Tournament of Minds, 1992
• Australian Science Forum, 1995
• Rode around Australia, 20 000km, 1997
• Australian Geographic Young Adventurer of the Year 1997
• London to Beijing, by bike, 16 months, 1999
• Off The Rails – ABC documentary. Won 5 film festival awards, 2002
• Co-authored ‘Off the Rails’ book. Awarded Australian Geographic Society Adventurer of the Year Medallion, 2003
• Silk Road by bike – Istanbul to Hong Kong, 2004
• Bachelor Science, Psychology, 1st Class Honours, ANU Canberra, 2005
• PhD in Psychology ANU, funded by NRMA, 2009

KHC DECADE AWARD 2009 – TOIREASA GALLAGHER – WORLD CHAMPION, PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST

• Graduated 1998
• Devro Junior Sportsperson Award 1996 and 1998
• 1996 - NSW Country Cyclist of Year
• 1997 – 7th in World Championships
• 1999 – NSW Champion 24km Point score race
• 2000 – Professional contract in Netherlands
• 2001 – Bronze Medal Oceania championships
• Gold Medal Paralympics World Championship, pilot for Tandem Sprint
• Bathurst Senior Sportsperson of the Year 2002 and 2004
• 2003 – 5 medals European Cycling Championships
• 2004 – 2 Silver Medals Athens Paralympics
• 2005 – Tandem World Record 1 Hour race
• 2006 – Gold Medal & Wold Champions, Pursuit & Road Race, Switzerland; NSW Road Time Trial Champion; Athlete With a Disability Cyclist of the year Award as pilot for Lindy Hua
• 2007 – 8 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze medals in Arafura games and State and National Championships; nomination for Australian Cyclist of Year
• 2008 – Silver in Individual Pursuit & Bronze in 1km Time Trial Beijing Paralympics

KHC DECADE AWARD 2010 – ASHLEY BLAND – ENVIRONMENTALIST, AUTHOR

• School Captain and Graduated 1990
• Won State Poetry Competition 1988
• Bachelor Engineering (Natural Resources), Honours, Armidale University, 1994
• First ever Environmental Officer in Mining Industry
• Regional Manager Conservation Volunteers Australia, 2001-2006
• Co-authored ‘Awkward News for Greenies and Everyone Else’, 2009
• Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Program 2009–2011
• Project Manager, Flannery centre – $7 million green skills and sustainability training centre in Bathurst, 2010–2012
• Speaking Australia wide at Climate Change Adaption Forums

KHC DECADE AWARD 2011 – KATE VAN DOORE – LAWYER / HUMANITARIAN WORK

• Graduated 1998
• Bachelor of Law (Honours) / Bachelor of Modern Asian and International Studies, Griffith University, 2004
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and Ethics; Master of Law, Griffith University, 2005
• Lecturer in Law, Griffith University, 2004 to present
• Lawyer with Commonwealth Ombudsman, 2004
• Began Forgetmenot Children’s Home, Nepal, 2005
• Griffith Law School Nominee for Qld Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year, 2009
• Began Forgetmenot Children’s Home, Uganda, 2010
• Telstra Women in Business Award nominee, 2010
• Marie Claire Young Business Women’s Award nominee, 2010

KHC DECADE AWARD 2012 – MARK EVERS – CORPORATE / OLYMPIC MANAGEMENT

• Graduated 1994
• Bachelor of Engineering – 1st Class Honours, University of Sydney, 1995-1999
• BHP Billiton, Chemical Engineering Cadet, 1995-1999
• Consultant, Braxton / Deloitte 2001
• Senior Consultant (Corporate Strategy), Australia, NZ, Asia, Braxton / Deloitte, 2003
• Transport for London, Director, 2008
• Transport for London, Director of Games Transport, 2010-2012
• Advisor: 2014 Winter Olympics (Russia), 2016 Rio Olympics, 2022 Qatar Football World Cup

KHC DECADE AWARD 2013 – TOBY FINLAYSON – FOUNDER DESERT PEA MEDIA

• Graduated 2000
• Trained with Makhampom Foundation, Thailand, 2003
• Bachelor of Arts (Communications: Theatre Media), Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, 2004
• Founder, Artistic Director, Strategist, Project Coordinator and Head Facilitator – Desert Pea Media, 2002 to present
• Sunera Foundation, Sri Lanka, 2004
• Award winning film and music video maker
• Teacher, director, actor, performer, musician, artist
• Working in and with remote communities, 2002 to present
• MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

KHC DECADE AWARD 2014 – TOM WILSON – AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, WEST BANK, RAMALLAH

• Graduated KHS 1997
• Bachelor of Arts/Law (Honours), Macquarie Uni, 2003
• Trainee Diplomat, DFAT, 2004
• Studies Arabic, University of Jordan, Amman, 2005
• 2nd Secretary, Australian Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2009
• DFAT Legal & Human Resources Department, 2010
• Australian Representative to the Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Ramallah, 2013

KHC DECADE AWARD 2015 – JASON SAXBY – AWARD WINNING CHEF

• Graduated 2003
• Bathurst: Crowded House, 9inety 2wo, Absolutely Delicious (Head Chef) 2005 - 2007.
• Sydney Culinary Challenge, Silver Medal 2005
• Sydney: Park Hyatt, Pilu at Freshwater, Quay, The Bridge Room 2007 - 2011 Council of Italian Restaurants, National Competition runner-up 2010 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year 2011
• International: Per Se - New York, The Ledbury - London, Pollen St Social -London 2011 - 2012
• The Australian Hottest Dish of the Year 2014
• Chef/owner, Russo & Russo, SMH Good Food Guide 1 Hat 2014 & 2015

KHC DECADE AWARD 2016 – GABRIELLE BRADY – FILM MAKER

• Graduated 2002 as School Captain
• BA Communications - Theatre Media/Journalism, CSU, 2005
• Segment Producer, Network 7 ‘Sunrise’ Program, 2006
• Producer, Network 7 ‘Morning Show’, 2007
• Series Producer, ‘Voice Box TV’, Mongolia, 2008
• Producer/Researcher, Network 7 ‘Sunday Night’, 2008
• Video Features Producer, Warlpiri Media Centre, Central Australia, 2009
• Co-Producer, Documentary ‘Coniston’, 2009
• EICTV Film School, Cuba, 2011-14
• UN Documentary, ‘Prempuan’, Indonesia, 2014
• Video Editor, online documentary magazine, Human Geographic 2014 Director, feature length film, ‘Christmas Island’, 2015-17
• Feature Expanded workshops Manchester, UK, awarded ‘Up and Coming Artist’ Award and Distribution Award for Christmas Island Film, 2015
• Selected for Berlinale talents, Berlinale Film Festival, 2016
• British Film Institute grant for ‘Christmas Island’, 2016
• Director, short film project, The Guardian, 2017

KHC DECADE AWARD 2017 – MICHAEL FITZPATRICK – HEAD OF CONTENT TRIPLE M AUSTRALIA

• Left Kelso High School, 1990 
• 2BS – Apprentice Radio Technician, 1990 
• Bachelor of Communications, Media, Theatre & Broadcast Journalism, CSU, 1995 Involved in Foundation of B-Rock 99.3 FM, 1996 
• Music Director, MTV Australia, 1997 
• Presenter Triple M Sydney, 1998 – 2001 
• Assistant Content Director, Triple M Melbourne, 2001 
• Cleo’s 50 Most Eligible Bachelor nomination, 2003 & 2005 
• Program Manager, Triple M Sydney, 2004 
• The Cage Breakfast Show, Triple M, 2002 – 2007 
• Content Manager, Southern Cross Austereo, 2009 
• Operations Director, Triple M Network, 2012 
• Head of Content, Triple M Australia wide, 2014 

KHC DECADE AWARD 2018 – ASHLEY FRANKS – ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR - LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

• Bachelor of Science, (Hons}, UNSW, 1999.
• Ph.D.  UNSW, 2005.
• Postdoctoral Research Scientist, National University of Ireland, 2005.
• Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellow in Science, Engineering and Technology, 2007.
• Senior Research Scientist, Geobacter Project,
• University of Massachusetts, 2007 -2008.
• Assistant Professor (Research), University of Massachusetts, 2009 -2011.
• Young Investigator Award, Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, 2011.
• Senior Lecturer, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science,
• Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, 2011 – 2015.
• Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science,
• Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, 2015 – 2018.
• Member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts, 2018.

KHC DECADE AWARD 2019 – OWEN FRANKS - MEDIA EXECUTIVE BLOOMBERG TV – Head of Asia Pacific

• Graduated Kelso High School, 1991
• Bachelor of Science, (Hons – Political Science and Government) Sydney Uni, 1995.
• BBC – Producer - News Editor, 2000 – 05.
• Al Jazeera English – Producer, 2005 – 08.
• Al Jazeera English - Program Editor, 2008 – 13.
• Al Jazeera America – Senior Executive Producer,  2013 – 14.
• AJ+ San Francisco – Executive Producer, 2014 – 15.       
• Bloomberg TV Philippines – Executive Producer, 2015 – 17.